The Haibane
by Jan Kun
Summary: AU. After Reki's Day of Flight, a cocoon has hatched! The newborn has to be nurtured and cared for! Will the girls be up for the challenge? First Haibane Renmei fic, Read and Review!


Disclaimer: This originally started out as an original fic; but after watching Haibane Renmei; I decided to change my mind and make it a fan fic. I don't own the characters; and I'm truly sorry if they all seem out of character. The story takes place after the anime finishes!

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_I want to see the storm for myself. I want to go outside to playin the rain._

The storm was picking up over the city of Gile; it seemed as if the clouds of Nimbus were cursing the city. It was mid-day; the clouds dimming the light that came from the sun. A simple over-cast summer day was in the process of turning into a disaster. The park was empty, which was odd for a weekend. Usually, hoards of children were playing in the obstacle course that was built in the large sandbox. It almost seemed as if the city was in mourning because of the accumulating storm.

_I could hear the thunder. It makes my heart pound._

The first crack of lightning struck; the booming of thunder echoing through the sky. The rain started to pick up; the wind wasn't helping much. It blew the droplets of water in every direction, drenching everything in it's path. Puddles amongst puddles were created on the uneven asphault. Another crack of lightning; the flash resembled something like a camera's flash. It was blinding, but fascinating. What makes a storm like this so exhillarating? Why would someone want to watch a storm such as this?

_I leapt out of my chair and ran outside. The sound of the rain .. it comforted me._

The temperature dropped drastically during the duration of the storm. As the last half hour elapsed, the tempurature dropped a bone-chilling ten degrees. Instead of the normal summer coldness, it felt as cold as winter. Soon, the rain had transformed into hail; the droplets of ice creating a marble-like sound as they hit the ground.

_I watched the destruction the storm had made, walking into the middle of the street. At moment, I felt a pain come over my entire body. It felt as is every limb of my body were engulfed by the flames of death. _

_That stinging pain is all I could remember._

_Then I blacked out._

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_**The Haibane - **A story by J Robbins._

_A/N: This will be written in the first person; as the opposite gender. I've always had a fascination with imagining myself as the opposite gender, and writing is the only way I can experience it. Please, don't laugh!_

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_Chapter One_

I woke up that morning; rather, it appeared to be morning. The breeze that passed through the window next to me felt nice; I took notice of the curtains, they were a vibrant shade of cyan. The room was the completely opposite. The walls were a charcoal grey; it was a depressing sight. I tried lifting myself up, but only a groan rumbled through my throat.

"Take it easy, you don't want to strain yourself, now!" A cheerful voice came from the door; someone entered, complete with clean towels and two buckets of water that were hoisted upon their shoulders. The person appeared to be female, as the rest of the residents came flooding through the door.

Finally, I had the strength to at least sit up in the bed I was in.

"Are you hungry?" Came one voice.

"Do you want us to get something from the store?" Came another, from the opposite direction.

"Really, guys! Do you _have_ to confuse her!" A blonde haired woman came through the crowd of girls that were huddled up against the edge of the bed. She wore a pair of wide, round glasses. After shooing them away from the bed, she grabbed a chair and placed it near the side. "Now, we'll start from the beginning.. "

"The beginning?" My voice was high; almost child-like, but very subtle. I curled my knees towards my chest, and rested my forehead against my knees.

"Do you remember the dream you had while in the cocoon?" The woman placed a hand against one of my shoulders; I felt a jolt of pain rush through my side. I backed away, nearly falling of the opposite end of the bed.

"Auu! I'm sorry! I forgot that your wings haven't grown out, yet!" The woman smiled innocently, rubbing the back of her head; the other girls grimaced and scolded at her for a few moments before quieting down.

"Can you tell us about the dream, then?" Another voice; it sounded similar to my own. A girl with dark hair was next to me, one of her hands outstreched, and held one of my own. "Oh! I'm Rakka, by the way. Welcome to Old Town."

"I was in a room, and saw that it started to rain heavily ouside.. So I decided to go out--"

"I know what your name should be!" Boomed in front of me; I covered my ears and yelped.

"Kana!" The blonde haired woman scolded. Her attention turned towards me once more. "Continue, please. We need to listen to your dream to figure out what we should call you. A name, so to speak."

"I decided to go out, and I stood in the rain for a while .. Admiring it. I felt as if the rain was protecting me from something .. I don't remember anything after that."

Everyone stood there, staring at me; it felt like minutes, when it was merely a few second.

"Ame." Came from another woman in the back of the room. She was staring out of the window, appearing to be deep in thought. "You were dreaming about the rain. I think it'd suit you well." She returned her gaze to me, her lips curling into a warm smile.

"That's brilliant, Nemu!" Kana chirrped, but quickly cursed aloud when she looked at the time on the clock on the wall. "Oh _no_! I'm gonna be late for work! No time for breakfast, Hikari!" Just like that, she zipped out of the door into the courtyard towards town.

Just then, I noticed that everyone had a halo. And a pair of wings!

I saw Hikari holding a mold; obviously, resembling a halo. It looked more like a donut mold, than anything else.

"Okay, Ame. Don't move! It's really hot, 'kay?" After opening the mold, Hikari lifted the halo up with a pair of plyers and placed it above my head. It wobbled several times, but eventually it stayed in place. It felt warm above my head; it made me smile in content. Suddenly, my entire body felt as heavy as a sack of beans. My back felt sore, it felt like something was being pulled out of me from behind; my breaths became shorter.

"It's started, already." Hikari muttered under her breath, going towards the other side of the room. She came back moments later with a medical kit. She nodded towards Rakka, and started wrapping her thumb with adhesive tape. Rakka started to walk towards the door; I outstretched my arm as best as I could, straining the muscles of my back.

"No ... Please! Don't leave me alone!" The fear set in; I was in a new place. I was apparently-- just a few hours beforehand --born into this world. A place I didn't understand, and had no one to be with. Or so I thought. Hikari waved good-bye to Rakka as she headed towards the door.

"Don't worry, Ame. I'll be back tonight, I promise!" Rakka trotted down the corridor, and down the stairs towards the courtyard. It appeared that she, too, was headed towards town. Hikari settled down in the chair once more, sighing heavily. Nemu stayed in the corner of the room, her eyes never leaving the window.

"Hikari, why don't you take care of the children today?" Nemu suggested, walking towards the table where the medical kit was placed. Hikari stared quizically at her senior, tilting her head to the side.

"I thought--"

"I need a rest today; besides, the old lady needs someone that's more energetic than me to help her." Nemu smiled at her, patting the blonde on the back gently. Reluctantly, Hikari stood up from her chair and left the room. The room felt a whole lot smaller; being just be and Nemu, who seemed to be the oldest in the group.

The older woman went to the kitchen, retrieving a bag of ice. She returned moments later, sitting herself down on the side of the bed.

"Can you turn onto your stomach for me?" Her voice was much softer than before, almost mother-like. I obligued, and turned myself as best as I could onto my side. Nemu fumbled with the straps on the back of the dress that I wore; I was left with my back bare. The soreness seemed to double in size. Another groan rumbled through my throat, followed by a whimper.

"Wh-What's happening to me, Nemu?" My voice was barely audible; Nemu placed the first bag onto my right shoulder blade. My tried to slow my breaths; but the pain was not subsiding.

"Your wings are growing, Ame. Soon, you'll have ones that look like all of ours. See?" Another smile came from her as she turned her hips to give me a clear view of her wings. They were a brilliant shade of charcoal; unlike the walls. Nemu's wings twitched slightly; she was showing me that they were completely part of her body.

"I'm .. I'm scared."

"Don't worry. It'll all be over, soon.. And then, you'll be a full-blown Haibane. Just like the rest of us." She replied, taking my hand in hers. It felt comforting, but the fear did not disappear.

_Haibane? Are we not human? _

_Someone help me.. I'm scared!_

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Chapter One - Finished.

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_A/N: I'm truly sorry for the shortness of this chapter; the opening chapter. I just wanted to get the story started, and get the ball rolling. I also apologize if the characters are OOC. I haven't written a fan fic in a long while. I hope you've liked it so far! Please, review to your heart's content! I'd love to hear what you guys think!_


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